Our Position In Heavenly Places

Monday, June 18, 2012: Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)            Is our battle against persons?

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Is our battle against persons? Our battle is against princes and powers of the spirit world, not against persons. People are our mission field, no matter how unlikable.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012: Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV)            Why are we in a battle?

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ

Why are we in a battle? God has blessed those born again of the Spirit with all spiritual blessings in heaven. This, incomprehensibly, is in the present tense, not future!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012: Ephesians 1:20-21a            What power works in us?

(The power) which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion

What power works in us? God’s power that raised Christ works in us while on earth.

Thursday, June 21, 2012: Ephesians 2:6 (NKJV)            What does this power accomplish?

and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus

What does this power accomplish? Our spiritual being is seated in heaven together with Jesus Christ! We, as the Church, are His body.

Friday, June 22, 2012: Ephesians 3:10 (NKJV)            What is God’s intent?

to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places

What is God’s intent? The Church, which we are part of, is God’s multifaceted wisdom put on display before Princes and powers in heaven! No wonder we are under attack.

The Kingdom of Heaven

Monday, November 2, 2009: Matthew 25:14

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
Who does this parable refer to? This parable speaks about the Lord Himself who would ascend into heaven and entrust believers with the gospel.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009: Matthew 25:19

After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
As the end of the same parable, what does this verse speak about? This verse speaks about the return of Jesus Christ for believers, His servants, to settle accounts.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009: Matthew 9:15

And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
Background: John the Baptist’s disciples wanted to know why the disciples of Jesus Christ did not fast.
What did the answer that Christ gave tell us today? The Church, as the Bride of Christ, awaits His return and is not in the state of joy that will exist when the Bridegroom returns.

Thursday, November 5, 2009: Matthew 9:16

No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.
Background: this parable immediately follows the previous verse.
What does this parable mean? This parable refers to the change coming when the Bridegroom is removed from the earth: a big change was coming and Christ informed His disciples about it in this way. There would be a tearing away, patched up with the same faith that would keep the disciples going after the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord. He would then go away in the Ascension.

Friday, November 6, 2009: Matthew 9:17

Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
This parable is a continuation from the previous verse. Christ is still telling His disciples that a big change is coming. He will not be with them. They will do the work without Him. They will make new disciples with the wine of the gospel.